Creation, development and strategic management of Bilbao’s candidacy to host the European Spallation Neutron Source. For more than three years, Bilbao competed with other possible European venues to build and energize a scientific-business hub around a major global scientific facility: the European Spallation Neutron Source. Throughout this process, multiple proposals and initiatives were developed that ultimately made it possible to secure a scientific sub-headquarters for Bilbao for the initiative. Some of the most significant activities carried out were the following:
– The development of a Community of Knowledge in neutron techniques.
– The setting up of a Research and Innovation Center on the matter.
– The definition of a Business District that will take advantage of the industrial opportunities that a Great Science infrastructure can bring to the business fabric.
– The preparation of the so-called “Zinsli Report” carried out for the Zinsli Commission of the Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI).
– The supervision and monitoring of the visit by the Site Review Group (SRG) commissioned for the final and on-site assessment of the suitability of Bilbao’s candidacy.
The work of Naider had a multilateral nature, providing technical, strategic and corporate communication support to the ESS-Bilbao Consortium (highest management body of the candidacy) in all the aforementioned activities, resulting in a key agent for success of the ESS Bilbao option which, despite being in second place, given the benefits of the candidacy, was deserving of a sub-venue not initially provided for in the European initiative.
ESS Bilbao (pdf)